Types of apostasy
Assalaam Alaikum,I have a question about apostasy in Islam which is worrying me. I will be very grateful if you can reply to me. I have read two views. One is that apostasy is punishable to death the other view is that it is only punishable to death when the apostate joins army of the enemy.The first point of view is supported by these two hadiths"Kill whoever changes his religion" (Sahih Bukhari Vol. 9, book 84, number 57, narrated via Ibn Abbas )"The blood of a Muslim, who confesses that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that I am His Apostle, cannot be shed except in three cases: In Qisas for murder, a married person who commits illegal sexual intercourse and the one who reverts from Islam (apostate) and leaves the Muslims." (Sahih Bukhari Vol. 9, book 83, number 17, narrated via Abdullah)the second point of view is supported with the verses of Quran which mainly leave the fate of an apostate to Allah. “Let there be no compulsion in religion: Surely the Right Path is clearly distinct from the crooked path.”(2: 256) “Some of the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) say: Believe in the morning what is revealed to the believers (Muslims), but reject it at the end of the day; perchance they may (themselves) turn back (from Islam)." (3:72) "However, as for those who reject faith after they accepted it, and then go on adding to their defiance of faith never will their repentance be accepted; for they are those who have (deliberately) gone astray." (3:90) “Those who blasphemed and back away from the ways of Allah and die as blasphemers, Allah shall not forgive them.” (4:48) “(As for)those who believe, then reject faith, then believe (again) and (again) reject faith, and go on increasing in unbelief,- Allah will not forgive them nor guide them nor guide them on the way."(4:137) If the first view is the correct view then my questions are.1) There are people in UK and other Western countries who have converted to Islam. Some of them were practicing Christians before. Will it be OK for British or these governments to execute them? As they were not forced to accept Christianity they were practicing Christianity with their own free will before the embraced Islam 2) I have also read if the child is not mature and he becomes apostate. He is kept in prison till he reaches the age of puberty and if he still doesn’t come back to Islam he will be executed. Does that mean a child born of Muslim parents hasn’t got freedom of religion? 3) Wouldn’t it be better to leave Allah to deal with these people as someone may be apostate from heart but will not say that just because he fears execution? Someone unknowingly may marry their daughter to an apostate or even worse apostates against whom fatwas are issued become heroes and a symbol of liberation in Western countries like Sulman Rushdie and Ibn Warraq.
